


Phantom Lady In: The U-Boat Escape

by tallyback44



Category: DCU (Comics), Quality Comics
Genre: Escape, Fist Fights, Peril, Submarines, Swimming, Underwater
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-21
Updated: 2020-07-21
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:14:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,587
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25431457
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tallyback44/pseuds/tallyback44
Summary: On the parallel world of Earth-X, Phantom Lady attempts a daring mission to retrieve a computer module which will cripple Germany's navy. Phantom Lady has to battle her way out of a massive submarine in this intense undersea adventure. Rated T for violence, peril, and language.





	1. A Stowaway Under the Sea

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Phantom Lady, the Freedom Fighters, and all associated characters and settings are property of DC Comics and not of the author.

_PHANTOM LADY! The courageous, tenacious, and vivacious super-heroine fighting against Germany on the parallel world of Earth-X! Phantom Lady- who in reality is the beautiful high society gal Sandra Knight- combines her athleticism and assets with her wits and technological know-how of her signature "black light" projectors to protect America, her peoples, and all of her ideals. Now, we bring you another adventure starring this daring woman, as she battles both humans and nature and straddles the line between life and death, as she attempts **The U-Boat Escape!**_ **  
**

_**Part 1: A Stowaway Under the Sea** _

As the sun set over the horizon, the tranquility of the calm sea was broken by a black behemoth. The proper name of this thing was _U-4004_ , but it was called by both its crew and the public at large as _SS Tyr_. It was the largest and most powerful submarine of the Nazi fleet, and the one they were most proud of. Its size dwarfed all other ships, and it could outrun any of them too. The ship was not just the flagship of the fleet, but also its lynchpin. Onboard was the main naval headquarters for the regime. Every maneuver, every ship change, every naval plan of attack was directed through this ship. All of this information was contained within the “Codex”, a module used in the computer system deep inside the ship. Because of the importance of the ship, the _SS Tyr_ had massive defensive capabilities. It could also stay out at sea for many months without having to replenish its supplies. It only docked at bases unknown to all but the highest levels of the military. It had been years since the ship was seen in public. Yet, it had been seen by many enemy ships and resistance fighters, as the ship would launch massive torpedoes from seemingly nowhere. These vicious torpedo attack were exceeded in barbaric cruelty when the few survivors were gunned down in the water or lit on fire by the Nazi sailors. The _Tyr_ was nowhere to be found, and yet could be anywhere. The Nazis were able to rule the sea thanks to this technological monstrosity.

But all of that was about to change. Deep within the bowels of the ship, in the storage areas, there was an innocuous locker of ammunition lying on the floor. But this locker held something far more dangerous to the Third Reich than to the resistance fighters. Sandra Knight, a.k.a. Phantom Lady, opened the small metal cabinet.

 _Heavens,_ she thought as she stretched her back. _Had I been in there any longer, I would have done some permanent damage to my body._

She sat up and got her legs out with some difficulty. After another big push, Phantom Lady lifted the middle of her body out of there. Weeks ago, the Freedom Fighters had gathered some intelligence that said where the _Tyr_ would dock for reloading. They knew this would be the only shot they would get in a long time- possibly ever- so they had to act. It was decided that members of the team would infiltrate the dock, and then make their way onto the sub. Once onboard, they could take whatever intelligence they found and then destroy the sub from the inside. However, a major attack would naturally draw attention and ruin their plan. Thus, it was decided that only Phantom Lady would go on the mission. Having one person would be enough, and Phantom Lady was very skilled at infiltration and espionage.

On the ship, Phantom Lady looked back into the locker to go over what she had brought with her. She took out her black light projectors, which she mounted on her wrists. Her signature weapons, these projectors allowed her to blind her opponents. They also produced set holograms, and special “black lights” that negate the light from any other source. Phantom Lady also took out a small package wrapped in brown paper. She unwrapped it to reveal what it was. It was a small device, cylindrical in shape, with a few wires connected between the two circular ends. One end had a clock on it, while the other had a glass window inside. The window showed that the cylinder contained a glowing thin sheet. This thing was a piece of the Human Bomb’s skin that was cryogenically frozen and placed within the cylinder. This device was a bomb that Phantom Lady would use after she got what she came for. Phantom Lady set the timer.

_10 minutes should be more than enough. I’m not here to sightsee._

She planted the bomb against the inside hull and placed a box in front of it. Having set the bomb, Phantom Lady proceeded out of steerage.

The _SS Tyr_ was a dense ship, with many crisscrossing hallways and passages. New sailors to the submarine, including those with previous sailing experience, were known to get lost easily. Fortunately, Phantom Lady had been studying schematics of the ship for the past week, so she had a perfect idea of the ship and where she needed to go. She climbed up the stairs into one of the main hallways, checking to see if there were any sailors on her path. Despite being nearly three times the size of any other submarine, _SS Tyr_ only needed a crew of a normal sub. This meant that there were many places where a person could walk and not be found. Phantom Lady walked toward her main target: the command center. She stepped silently, taking care not to be heard. Approaching an intersection, Phantom Lady crept around the corner, trying to see if someone was there. She heard a pair of soldiers standing and talking to one another. Both of them were turned mostly towards the intersection.

 _Darn_ , thought Phantom Lady, _I can’t just sprint pass these guys. They might see me, and I can’t risk that._

Here, Phantom Lady turned to her projectors. She took one off of her wrist and placed it on the ground. She pointed one end of it towards the back part of the intersection, and then focused on the top lens. She adjusted it so that it would be pointing towards the front part of it. Once she knew she had the projector in the right position, she pressed a large green button on it to turn it on. The front lens started to emit light. It was a perfect image of the back of the intersection.

 _Perfect_ , thought Phantom Lady, _now I can walk though without anyone noticing._

Phantom Lady started to walk, but just as she did, she felt the ship lurch. Sirens started going off, and an announcement soon came on. Phantom Lady wasn’t fluent in German, but she did know enough to figure out what was going on.

_The ship is diving now?! That wasn’t part of the plan! This is going to make my escape trickier._

Phantom Lady looked back at the projector and her eyes opened wide. The ship’s submersion had caused the projector to become misaligned. Instead of showing the continuing hallway, the projector was pointed against a wall, with the cape of Phantom Lady showing. Phantom Lady sprinted to the other side of the intersection, but it was too late. The two guards saw the odd scene before them and decided to check it out.

Phantom Lady hid around the corner.

 _If they see my projector, then the whole operation will be exposed, along with me._ _Drats, it looks like I have no choice but to take them out._

She leaned up against the wall, hoping to hear how close they were. Just as soon as the soldiers crossed her field of vision, she attacked. Phantom Lady took her remaining projector and projected some of her famous “black light”, blinding the two guards. With them dazed, Phantom Lady grabbed one of the guns from the guards and swung it to knock the butt of it into his head. The other one soon regained his sight and tried to ready his aim, but Phantom Lady ducked and kicked out his legs. She mounted him, attempting to silently strangle him. However, her back was turned to the previously knocked guard. He roughly pulled Phantom Lady off of his comrade and held her arms behind her. Phantom Lady was quick though and used what limited mobility she had to punch the guard in the groin. The guard let go and Phantom Lady went after the other guard standing before her. She chopped him in the throat, which caused him to drop his gun. Phantom Lady grabbed his head and rammed it into the wall. She did it again, and again, until he fell down unconscious. Phantom Lady turned back to the first guard. With a high kick, Phantom Lady sent the guard flying back. She walked up to him to deliver a finishing blow. However, just as soon as she tried to stomp on him, the guard grabbed her foot and pulled her down. The guard kept control of her foot as he got back up. Phantom Lady flailed around, until she was able to sit up and grab the guard’s wrist. She leaned back and used her body weight to pull the guard down. As the guard laid face down next to her, Phantom Lady drove her elbow into the back of his head until he stopped moving. Phantom Lady stood up, her heart still racing, her chest still heaving from the fight. She looked around at her situation.

 _No time to dispose of these fellas,_ she thought, _I need to get the Codex and go!_

She grabbed her projector from the floor and went on her way. 

* * *

_The mission has just started, and already Phantom Lady is behind the eight ball. Not only has she had to knock a few guards around, the submarine is now under the sea. Phantom Lady has a long way to go before she can claim victory. Stay tuned for Part 2 of this epic, as Phantom Lady ends up "In the Belly of the Beast"._


	2. In the Belly of the Beast

After another minute of sneaking, Phantom Lady found her destination. The control room was just around the corner. However, it was filled with Nazis, and Phantom Lady had no intention of tangling with them. Instead, she stopped right before the door and knelt down on the grated floor. She knew of where a loose grate would allow her access to the space below. She opened it up to see this new area. It was only about two feet deep, barely enough space for her to go through, but she had to make her way through it. Along the side was a hot steam pipe. Phantom Lady would travel by the side of the pipe, underneath the floor of the control room. Phantom Lady went below and closed the grate behind her. The pipe was very hot, and when Phantom Lady grazed it with her bare skin, she jolted. It rattled the duct, but fortunately the area was pretty insulated, registering as a minor ping in the hallway. Phantom Lady grabbed the pipe with her gloved hands and started to shimmy to her destination. The pipe was emanating quite a bit of heat, which was starting to affect Phantom Lady.

 _I may getting tired_ , she thought, _but I can’t stop now!_

She looked through the gaps between various pipes and wires above her to see the control deck. There were large metal sheets in this area, with only slight spaces between them, which meant Phantom Lady had very little chance of getting detected. She couldn’t see much: a terminal here, a chart there. Occasionally she would see a crewmember walk above her. After a little scanning, she saw something far different than the average sailor: a pale man with pale buzzed hair wearing an officer’s uniform. It was Johann Fischer, the captain of the _SS Tyr_. Fischer was a proud man, often wearing his dress uniform while working. He had many medals pinned to it, signifying his success in the field. He was also very cruel, even by Nazi standards. Instead of just shooting the survivors, Fischer would often take them aboard, only to throw them back into the sea and watch them drown. On board, the captain would subject them to torture for his and the crew’s enjoyment. Rumor had it Captain Fischer would lock them in the ballast tanks when he was done with them. Drowning, high pressure, hypothermia, starvation: all terrible ways people could die in there. In times long ago, he would be a bloodthirsty pirate, hated by all civilized people. But today, he was the very model for the Nazi navy. Phantom Lady seethed as she saw him.

 _Fischer, regardless of what happens next, your horrible life will end today!_

Phantom Lady continued past the openings. The clicking of the grates from the sailors walking got softer and softer. Soon it was replaced with the whirling of large computers and machines. Phantom Lady had found her target. This was the control and navigation complex. The status of the ship, its position in the sea, and the commands it received and sent were all controlled and analyzed here. Phantom Lady slowly raised up a grate, so not to cause a ruckus, and got out. The door to the bridge was on the other side of the room and had only a small window near the top. As long as she was discrete, she wouldn’t be detected. She searched along the banks of computers to find where the Codex was stored. She found it near the floor by the door.

 _Well isn’t this lucky?_ she thought. _It’s the best angle for me to hide from anyone who might sneak a peek_.

Phantom Lady bent over and opened the hatch. The Codex was screwed inside. Phantom Lady searched for a screwdriver. No such luck. Phantom Lady had to think fast: time was ticking away. She realized that she could use a part of her projector as a makeshift screwdriver. She aligned the edge of it with the first screw and turned it a quarter of the way. This was as far as she could turn the projector. She did it again and again, trying to make it as quick as possible.

 _I have to do this faster_. _I can’t leave without it._

She got the first screw half-way out, and then did the rest by hand. She repeated that for the second screw. By the third screw, her forearms were getting tired. By the fourth screw, she had begun to get cramps. Finally, she got the final screw out. Phantom Lady grabbed the module and tried to pull it out. The Codex remained in place as Phantom Lady lost her grip and fell backwards. She tried to pull it again, but it still wouldn’t come out. She looked around and couldn’t see anything blocking it.

 _Damnit! It must be attached in the back_.

Phantom Lady took the Codex in both hands, and pulled it, grunting as she did it. With one final jerk, and a final yell, Phantom Lady yanked the Codex free.

 _Thank God,_ she thought. _And not a moment too soon!_

But when she turned around, she came face to face with a loaded gun. 

Captain Fischer was holding his engraved Luger out, flanked by two other soldiers.

“Oh my, it’s Phantom Lady. This is an unexpected surprise. Phantom Lady, here, all alone, scurrying around my ship like a little rat”. The two guards went to Phantom Lady. One retrieved the Codex from her as the other held on to her arm. “And like a rat, you have been making a mess of things here. We can’t have that, now can we?”

The two guards escorted Phantom Lady out of the room. The command center was larger than she had realized, with a high ceiling and twice the floor space of an average U-boat. Phantom Lady saw that every module and post in the room was of the highest caliber, years ahead of anything she had previously encountered. The room was well lit, the screens were clean, and even the chairs looked comfortable. All of them, except one: a simple wooden chair in the middle of the room.

“You like my ship?” taunted Captain Fischer. “It is better than anything the American Navy ever had”. Captain Fischer placed the Codex on a desk along the wall while the guards escorted Phantom Lady to the wooden chair. Sitting down, the guards removed her wrist mounted projectors. Another sailor went to a nearby closet and pulled out some ropes. He returned with the ropes to the seated superheroine and began to tie her up. “Make sure the ropes are nice and tight,” remarked Captain Fischer. “We don’t want her getting away”.

The guards completed their duties and left. Phantom Lady was tied to the wooden chair, with her hands tied to the back legs of the chair, her legs pined to the front legs, and her torso tied to the chair’s back, with many ropes around her midsection.

Captain Fischer slowly approached her, admiring her beauty. “Oh, Phantom Lady,” he said, “I’ve always dreamed of you here on my ship like this”.

“Yeah, you got me like you got everyone else: completely powerless against you. Only a pig would enjoy something like this!” Phantom Lady spat back.

“But _fraulein_ , I am not pig. I give all of my guests the best amenities one could receive on the high seas: large beds with silk sheets, a shower with hot water, everything a weak American needs to function,” Captain Fischer said.

“Oh yeah? I don’t see anything like that in this room,” Phantom Lady retorted.

“Oh, we don’t just give those things right away. In Germany, everything is earned, and nothing is just given. We have to make sure that you would be a good member of our society. We will provide the best training and all of the finest gifts we can offer, but only if you swear loyalty to the Third Reich. And until you do, you will stay here, in this room, tied like this, and watch all of your rebel friends on the high seas get destroyed one by one”.

“And if you can’t, then what?” replied Phantom Lady. “Are you just going to chuck me out to sea? Or maybe you’ll lock me in the ballast tanks?”

“Oh please, you cannot seriously believe those silly rumors!” taunted Fischer.

“I believe that you and your whole ilk are inhuman monsters, and that whatever torture you have set up for me won’t be enough to break me!” Phantom Lady said defiantly. 

Captain Fischer shook his head slowly. “Phantom Lady, I had thought you were smart enough to not believe your own propaganda. We are the rightful rulers of humanity, and we will crush all of those who oppose us one day. And that day would be sooner if not for you and your Freedom Fighters. Instead of having their best interests at heart and telling them to stand down, you tell them to keep fighting against a superior enemy. You distract the pathetic Americans enough to make them forget that they are in the thrall of the Third Reich, just long enough for them to throw their lives away. Frankly, you are the monsters here”.

“I am a Freedom Fighter, a champion of liberty and equality” Phantom Lady said proudly. “I am an equal of my teammates and an inspiration to those who need to see the light. As long as there are those who wish to keep the world in darkness by subjugating and murdering innocent people, I will emerge from the shadows to stand up to them and lift those who need me. Because I have these people who need me to win the war, I am stronger than any of you Nazis! If this grand fight requires me to give my life, then I accept it”.

“ _Mein Gott!_ If you really believe those things, then you might truly be lost!” exclaimed Captain Fischer. “The chances of you becoming a valued member of the Reich are very low!”

“Then I suggest you skip your attempts at conditioning me and go straight to the part where you get rid of me,” quipped Phantom Lady.

‘Oh no, I can’t do that,” replied Captain Fischer. “I owe it to the world to at least try to save you. So instead, I will leave you here in the control room and begin the treatment. And I will allow anyone to come in and observe your progress. It will be quiet the morale booster”.

Phantom Lady looked at a clock in the room. She realized that between the fight in the hallway, the long extraction of the Codex, and now this, it was almost time for the bomb to explode.

 _Alright Sandra, time is almost up. You’re gonna need everything you got left to pull this mission off, and you’re gonna have to start right now!_ Phantom Lady cleared her throat.

“Well, Captain, I afraid that’s not going to happen. It appears as though our sessions are about to be cut short!”

Captain Fischer looked at Phantom Lady, wondering what- if anything- she could be referring to. But before he could say anything, a massive roar was heard. The boat suddenly shook and tilted to the side, sending nearly everything- and everyone- to the ground. Lights dimmed and alarms blared.

Captain Fischer, still lying down, yelled out, “What happened?”.

“Captain,” yelled a sailor. “There appears to have been an attack on the port side.”

“What?” replied Captain Fischer. “Do we see them?”

Another person checked the radar. “ _Nein_. There appears to be nothing around us.” He looked at another sensor. “Captain! We appear to be listing!” 

Captain Fischer absorbed the words that his subordinate just said. _Were we sabotaged? Maybe it was that super bitch!_ he thought.

Meanwhile, Phantom Lady noticed that because of the fall, a crack had formed in the back of her chair. Quickly, she moved her body to a nearby pipe. Using the pipe, she slammed the crack so that it went through the whole back. She squirmed so that the broken pieces would fall from the knotted rope. Once this was done, the ropes around her body fell off. With this, she was able then to slip her hands from their ropes as well. She stood up and lifted her arms, even though her legs were still attached to the legs of the chair.

 _Finally,_ she thought, _I feel much better now that I have these ropes off of me!_

At that moment, Captain Fischer turned towards the superheroine. Fischer drew his gun, prepared to eliminate her once and for all. Reacting quickly, Phantom Lady rolled forward into the captain. Fischer missed, and Phantom Lady sent them both to the ground. The bottom ropes on chair loosened again, and Phantom Lady took the opportunity to free her legs. A guard tried to pick the hero up, but Phantom Lady sent him down with a swift kick. Phantom Lady saw the other guard farther away, coming from the other direction. Quickly, Phantom Lady broke a piece of wood off of the chair and threw it at the guard’s head. It hit him and he stumbled backwards.

Phantom Lady saw that the Codex had fallen to the floor, next to her projectors.

“Seize the whore!” screamed Captain Fischer.

Phantom Lady ran to her projectors, with several other sailors behind her. Phantom Lady got to her projectors and knew what she had to do. On the underside of each was a little red button. This was the projector’s emergency escape function. Phantom Lady pressed the button on one of them. The projector emitted a massive flash, blinding everyone in the room. Everyone, except Phantom Lady. Phantom Lady still had on her goggles, which blocked out the most intense rays of the projector. The flash though had a price: that projector was now completely fried. With everyone else still dazed from the flash, Phantom Lady grabbed the remaining projector and the Codex, clipping the latter to her belt. She turned around and sprinted to the door. Captain Fischer fired his gun blindly towards her direction. Phantom Lady opened the door and ran through. She shut the door behind her and held onto the circular locking wheel. Some sailors grabbed the wheel on the opposite side of the door, trying to open it, but Phantom Lady prevented anyone coming through.

 _They’re so close to getting me! I gotta find a way to stop them!_ She looked around and saw a fire axe in a case next to her. While still trying to hold the door, Phantom Lady stretched out and grabbed the axe. She turned around and wedged the handle into the wheel. Now when the Nazis tried to open the door, the axe would block it from turning. They were now trapped inside.

 _It’s what they deserve!_ thought Phantom Lady, and she left the Nazis to their fates.

* * *

_Think that it’s smooth sailing for Phantom Lady from here on out? Think again! Now that the boat has sprung a leak, our superheroine will have no time to dawdle, unless she’s itching to spend eternity in Davy Jones’s locker. Will Phantom Lady be able to keep her head above water (both figuratively and literally)? Come back next time, as Phantom Lady experiences “That Sinking Feeling”._


	3. That Sinking Feeling

Phantom Lady ran through the halls. The ship’s list was noticeable, and sometimes made running treacherous. Further along these halls, Phantom Lady saw other sailors running to the upper decks, looking for an escape. Phantom Lady had two options now. The first plan was to sneak to the escape pods located on the upper decks. However, sneaking was pointless, and there were already sailors going to them. She had no time to fight those guys for a spot in a pod. Thus, her only other option was to go to the torpedo bay and escape through the torpedo wells. It would have meant swimming up to surface, but Phantom Lady figured it was her only shot to get out. Phantom Lady turned to make her way to the torpedo bay, hoping to get there before it was too late. Eventually, Phantom Lady made it to the stairwell, but what she saw was crushing. The bottom of the well had water flowing through the hallway she needed to go to, and it was already up several steps. And that was the good news. The bad news was that there was a massive shirtless brute at the bottom of the stairs as well. He appeared to be an engineer who was working in the engine room when the bomb blew. He was covered in oil and was pretty wet. The brute screamed and pointed at Phantom Lady.

 _Crap, this guy is probably worse than a whole fleet of normal sailors! But there’s no other way now! I’ve got to take him out!_ Phantom Lady thought.

The brute started up the stairs, and Phantom Lady took a running start and jumped onto the Nazi. They both fell into the water behind him. Phantom Lady was not ready for the shock of the cold, salty water. She sprung up and gasped for air. The water was up to her waist. Phantom Lady made a dash for the exit, but the Nazi grabbed her floating cape. She fell backwards as her opponent walked forward. Phantom Lady sat up with hair in covering her eyes. She tried to turn around for an attack, but was too slow, and the brute grabbed her by the neck. He put his other hand on her face and pushed the heroine under the water. Phantom Lady flailed her legs in the water, as she tried to reach out to her attacker, but to no avail. She couldn’t hold her breath for very long; she had to escape. Phantom Lady was able to open her mouth, and using her hands, she forced one of the brute’s finger into it. She bit him hard, drawing blood. The brute screamed and let go of the woman. Phantom Lady broke the surface, spitting out water and breathing heavily. With the man stunned, Phantom Lady punched him in the body several times. The brute was only mildly hurt from this and whacked Phantom Lady away with a single punch to the face. He then grabbed her and threw her against the wall. He grabbed her and did it again and again. Each time, Phantom Lady crumpled like a ragdoll into the water.

_I can’t match him in strength!_ she thought, wiping blood from her lip. _I’m gonna have to use my wits!_

The worker stood apart from her, taunting his weaker opponent. Phantom Lady stood up, motioning to him to finish her off. “C’mon! We ain’t done here,” she said in a labored voice.

The man lunged towards her, but Phantom Lady dove under the water, between his legs. As he looked down, Phantom Lady swam behind, planted her feet, and grabbed his legs. Phantom Lady lifted the man, hitting his head on the ceiling. She then drove him into the water, hitting his head on the bottom. Knowing those moves alone wouldn’t stop him, Phantom Lady went onto her attacker’s back. As he surfaced, Phantom Lady threw her cape over his face and grabbed his head. She squeezed him as he flailed. He tried to stand up, but the added weight of Phantom Lady made it too difficult for him to move. As he knelt, Phantom Lady got one hand under his chin. The brute tried to scratch his way out, clawing at her body and arms. Phantom Lady pushed through the pain, putting her other hand on the side of his head. As the brute started to punch the heroine hard in the body, Phantom Lady jumped off of her opponent, spinning her whole body around his head. Using the cape and her hands, Phantom Lady put her entire body weight to breaking his neck. Phantom Lady heard a large *CRACK*, and the pair fell into the water. Phantom Lady stood up, wiped the water from her eyes and face, and looked at her fallen foe. The man floated in the hallway face down. Phantom Lady knew she had no time to admire her handiwork, so she turned towards the torpedo bay.

Phantom Lady trudged through the hallway as the water swirled around her. The corridor became more constricted the further she went. This was not a main hallway, but rather a service corridor that allowed for quick access by mechanics who needed to get to less popular areas of the ship. However, it was the shortest path to the torpedo bay. Phantom Lady had to be careful trying to get through these passages. She often had to slide in sideways, barely clearing its dimensions. Occasionally, her cape would get caught on something, slowing Phantom Lady down so she could release it. The ship continued to sink, unevenly and violently. The men locked in the command center were doing everything they could to keep the ship afloat long enough to reach the surface and evacuate everyone. But it would be a losing battle. Throughout the ship, people could hear the hull bend and buckle. The ship started listing backwards, towards the engine room. This made walking harder for Phantom Lady. The water was up to her armpits now. Occasionally, water from higher decks that were also getting flooded would seep through certain areas of the floor, dumping onto Phantom Lady’s head.

 _This thing is going down fast!_ Phantom Lady thought after an unexpected blast of water. _I need to keep moving no matter how hard it is! I have no interest in being this Ratsi remake of the Titanic sinking!_

Finally, the service passage ended into the main hallway again. At the end of this hallway was the door to the torpedo bay. Phantom Lady leapt out of the cramped corridor. Thanks to the size of the hallway and the depth of the water, Phantom Lady could now swim freely. As quickly as she could, Phantom Lady kicked and stroked her way to the door. Fortunately, thanks to the list of the ship, the water was back up to her waist. Phantom Lady gripped the wheel of the door and spun it open. Phantom Lady pulled it back, but as the door began to open, it suddenly stopped. Worriedly, Phantom Lady checked to see what was wrong. The door was definitely open. But it was open only slightly, and the result was far too small for anyone to get through. Phantom Lady tried pulling on it again. It budged slightly again. Phantom Lady put her foot on the wall next to the door and pulled with all of her might. The door moved a little again before Phantom Lady slipped. Emerging from the water, Phantom Lady checked to see what was causing her problems. The door was better, but still not open enough. Phantom Lady checked the hinges of the door. It appeared as though they were damaged, either from the sinking or-more likely- from a sailor hitting it so that the door would be unopenable. Suddenly, the ship was jostled again. The hallway turned onto its left side completely. The ship tilted back even more now. Phantom Lady saw the door was still stuck.

 _I’m going to need some help to get this open!_ she thought.

Phantom Lady took a few breaths and dove down into the hallway. Phantom Lady turned on her projector, this time functioning as a normal flashlight. She looked to see if there was any tool she could use to pry the door open. It was hard to see in the hallway, but there appeared to be nothing. Phantom Lady dove down some more into the hallway to check the service corridor. While there were a fair bit of pipes and other mechanical things, Phantom Lady didn’t see anything useful again. Phantom Lady dove further down the main hallway. The water pressure was becoming an issue, but Phantom Lady pushed through it.

 _This is nothing compared to what I could face outside!_ she thought.

Finally, something peculiar caught Phantom Lady’s eye. Another service corridor had a valve in it with a very large, straight handle, over a foot in length. If she could remove that handle, she reasoned, it could function as a crowbar. Phantom Lady swam to it and pulled it from its base. It took a bit of finesse, but after a few tries, the handle came off. It was heavier than she expected, but that was fine, as it meant it wouldn’t bend as she used it. Holding it with both hands, Phantom Lady kicked to the surface.

When Phantom Lady re-emerged, she saw she was a lot closer to the ceiling- or rather the starboard wall- than she was when she descended. The room was nearly completely flooded. The door was completely underwater, allowing water into the torpedo bay. Phantom Lady dove under to pry the door open. She hooked the handle to the inside of the door, but it was ineffective. She swam back up for more oxygen. She went back down and tried again. This time, she saw that, while the top hinge would allow movement, the bottom wouldn’t. She knew she needed to focus her energy on that bottom hinge. Phantom Lady broke for the surface again, but this time, she hit her head. She wanted to scream, but didn’t, afraid that she would inhale water if she did. The room only had enough air in it for her to fit her face. Phantom Lady began to take deep, quick breaths. She knew that these would the final breaths she would take before the moment of truth. When the air had almost completely run out, Phantom Lady dove back in. She swam to the bottom of the door and positioned her legs on the side of it. She could feel the water flowing over her into the torpedo bay below. She hooked the handle into the side of the door. With all of her might, Phantom Lady pushed against the wall and pulled the handle up towards her face. The door audibly strained under this force, but it didn’t move. Phantom Lady would’ve taken a breath at this point, but that was impossible.

 _C’mon Sandra! You gotta do this!_ Phantom Lady pulled some more. The door strained some more. _You can’t give up! You have to use everything you have! That’s what you have to do if you want to win this war!_

With her lungs burning, with her body shaking, and with her head throbbing, Phantom Lady shut her eyes, yelled a mighty scream, and gave the handle one final jerk. With this massive show of force, the door moved, just enough for someone to slip in. Phantom Lady dropped the handle, went feet first through the door, and popped out the other side, gasping for air. She had made it into the torpedo bay.

* * *

_Wow! How was that for excitement? Fisticuffs and flooding! Brains and brawn! Savage strikes and swift swimming! All of this would make even the heartiest sailors flustered. But even though our stylish socialite turned superheroine is sore, soaked, and spent, she still has to set up her spectacular escape from the sub to the sea if she stands to survive. What tricks does Ms. Sandra Knight have up her sleeves to complete this water-logged adventure? Make sure you don’t miss the thrilling conclusion to “The U-Boat Escape,” where Phantom Lady will be forced to take her “Last Gasp”._


	4. Last Gasp

**Part 4: Last Gasp**

The torpedo bay was completely disheveled because of the list. Anything that wasn’t tied down had fallen into the back-left corner. Some of it floated; most didn’t. Phantom Lady grabbed onto some of the wreckage and pulled herself over it as best as she could. She collapsed on top of one of the torpedo tubes, her legs still dangling in the water. She looked like a mess. There was a large scratch in her goggles. There were many cuts and bruises on her body. She was tired, she was cold, but she wasn’t done yet. The longer she stayed, the worse her slim chances of survival became. Phantom Lady could see water pouring from upper decks into the bay. Every inch of the room was covered in sea water, as soon the room would be filled with it. The room had eight torpedo tubes, two rows of four with a clearing in the middle. Now with the ship on its side, the four tubes on the starboard side were out of reach from the bottom. Phantom Lady rested on Tube #5, which was supposed to be the one in the bottom left corner. The left wall of the current set-up was now the location of the loading doors. These were where equipment could be put into the bay while the ship was in dock. There were two doors along the side of the ship. Below them were the actual torpedoes and other equipment. Fortunately, the torpedoes were not armed when they were in the racks and they were all safely tied down.

 _Alright Sandra, it’s time to go._ After a moment’s rest, Phantom Lady sat up, adjusted her hair and headband, and went up to complete her escape.

The two ways out of this room to the sea were either the doors or the torpedo tubes. Both of these options had problems. With the submarine submerged, an opening to the outside would immediately allow a wall of water that could crush anything in front of it. Meanwhile, the tubes had several locking mechanisms that prevented them from allowing water in. Only one of either the hatch to the outside or the hatch to the bay could be open at one time. In addition, the outer hull hatch would usually only open if the pressure on both sides was equal, which meant that to use the hatch underwater, the tube would have to be flooded with enough water. When the ship was normal, Phantom Lady could have used the tubes to escape, provided she had another person with her. But alone, and with the U-boat sinking, it would be a lot trickier. Of course, this doesn’t even factor in the pressure of the water outside and how it would affect the superheroine. But Phantom Lady wasn’t concerned with that: her only focus was getting out of the ship. Fortunately, Phantom Lady had a plan though that would use both the torpedo tubes and the loading doors. Phantom Lady climbed the slick surface of the torpedo tube she was on. Occasionally, she stopped to make sure the air vents on the tube were open. She continued her treacherous climb on the cold, slippery surface. Once she got to the front of the tube, Phantom Lady grabbed onto a large red lever next to the tube and pulled it down. She heard a large *CLICK* when she did. Phantom Lady had successfully disabled the interlock, meaning that the outer hull hatch and the torpedo bay hatch could both be opened. Furthermore, the outer hatch would open when there was equal pressure on both sides of it, regardless of any commands it may or may not have received.

Phantom Lady slid down the tube into the water. Once in, she saw that the hatch was under the water. Phantom Lady dove under and pulled it open. It was a bit of a struggle to get it open against the pressure of the water, but once a crack appeared in the side, water started coming in and allowed the hatch to open. Once the path to the outer hull was opened, Phantom Lady set on her next objective.

Phantom Lady looked at her surroundings. _This list has definitely made things harder,_ she thought, _but I think I can work my way out of it._

First, she grabbed some loose shipping straps from the water that had fallen off. Then, she found a floating cushion and stuffed that into the torpedo tube. She then stepped onto Tube #5 to climb onto the tube above, Tube #6. Once on there, Phantom Lady made her way along the tube like before. But she wasn’t going for the interlock release again. Between the two sets of four tubes was a walkway to the bow of the ship. At the bow was a command screen with a keyboard. These things were bolted in place, which meant that they were now sideways. When Phantom Lady was near the front of the ship, she stood up and grabbed a guardrail along the walkway. Despite her tired muscles, Phantom Lady pulled herself up to sit on the railing. She then put her feet on the railing, grabbed the console, and stood up. As she balanced in a precarious position, Phantom Lady began typing. After a minute, she had executed her command. The outer shielding of the docking doors had been disengaged. This shielding slid over the doors when the submarine went down so as to prevent water leaking in. Once Phantom Lady did that, the doors immediately began to creak. She looked up and saw streams of water squirt into the room along the cracks of the starboard door. Phantom Lady continued to climb the bow of the ship; first onto the other guard rail, then onto the near tube, then onto the higher one. The water coming in near the top hit the equipment, then cascaded onto the tubes, making them extra slippery. Phantom Lady pushed through as water dripped onto her. Once on the highest tube, Phantom Lady slid to the far side, just above its hatch. Across from her was the loading door control panel. Thanks to the ship being on its side, what would normally be a simple walk to it became a treacherous journey. Phantom Lady tied the straps into a lasso and threw it onto the panel. Because the panel was a protruding box, Phantom Lady was able to hook the straps on. Phantom Lady then swung down from the tube to the opposite wall. She climbed the makeshift rope to the panel. The panel had a small lever and a button that had to be pressed simultaneously. Phantom Lady, hanging onto the panel, began to take deep breaths.

 _Alright, this is it,_ Phantom Lady thought to psyche herself up. _Once you open the door, there’s no stopping, there’s no hesitation. You need to move!_

Phantom Lady took faster, yet deeper breaths, trying to absorb as much oxygen as she could. Once she felt faint, she knew it was time. Phantom Lady pulled the lever and pressed the button.

The door to the outside began to open. Phantom Lady let go and dropped into the water below. It was considerably deeper than it was when she left. Phantom Lady had expected to feel a waterfall on top of her. Yet, she surfaced and saw nothing had changed. Phantom Lady looked up. The door was struggling to open outward against the pressure of the ocean. Phantom Lady became worried. Without this opening, she would be stuck here as the submarine sank. And when it got deep enough, the doors would break, instantly crushing everyone inside. She needed to get out now, before the pressure was too strong. The motors of the door strained under the pressure. Then, suddenly, the door moved slightly open. With this, a massive wave of water formed and entered above. Phantom Lady’s worry turned into panic, as she was bombarded with torrents of water. Phantom Lady went under the water and into the open torpedo tube hatch. She emerged about a third of the way up, with the cushion floating next to her. It was pitch black in there, so Phantom Lady turned on her flashlight again. The water started rising quickly, much faster than she anticipated. Phantom Lady grabbed onto the cushion so that she could float up. Soon, she was near the outer hull hatch, with the water about to overtake her. Phantom Lady took a few quick breaths and then went under.

Phantom Lady shined a light around the small tube, looking for something. She found what she was looking for: the pressure valve. This device determined whether or not the pressures in the tube and in the sea were equal. Even with the tube completely flooded, the valve still showed the pressure outside to be much greater. Phantom Lady would have to wait. Outside, Phantom Lady could still hear the crashing of the water into the torpedo bay. Phantom Lady kept looking at the valve, as the indicator slowly increased. She could alter the indicator so that it showed equality, which would allow her to leave. But that change in pressure could be devastating. So, she continued to wait. Phantom Lady could feel the pressure in the tube change, as her ears, sinuses, and lungs felt more constricted. Phantom Lady looked again. The indicator was over two-thirds of the way there. Phantom Lady felt that was good enough. She put her finger on the indicator, and pressed it forward all the way. The outer hull hatch opened, and Phantom Lady was instantly pushed back by the rush of water. Once she got to the back of the tube, the rush stopped, indicating that the pressure had equalized. Phantom Lady was in a lot of pain at this water level.

 _Oh God! Not now! I’m so close! I gotta get out!_ she thought.

Still clutching the cushion, Phantom Lady kicked through the tube and out of the ship. 

Phantom Lady was now in the ocean. She tried to look around at her surroundings. It was nearly pitch black in the water. The sun had gone down, meaning that there was no light going into the sea. She could hardly see the bubbles floating from her own face. Fortunately, she still had her projector, which was lighting up the immediate vicinity. Phantom Lady turned around to look at the _Tyr_. The ship was on its side, where Phantom Lady could hardly see the massive gash that the bomb had produced, which was facing the bottom of the ocean. Still, she could tell the hole went up several decks and was probably rather wide. Countless air bubbles were emerging from many other places on the ship, including the torpedo tubes and docking doors. Debris was floating all around the ship. The lights were still on it and the engines were running a bit. It was a miracle that the ship had stayed somewhat operational and intact for this long. Soon, the lights flickered, and the engines stopped. The ship made another loud groan before slipping into the darkness below, taking dozens of Nazi sailors to their watery graves.

Phantom Lady was satisfied with this. _No one else will come to harm because of your evil deeds!_

Now her task was trying to get to the surface. Thanks to the ship’s initial shallow diving depth and its subsequent attempts to surface while letting in water, Phantom Lady was only a couple hundred feet below the surface. This was very deep for humans, but not impossible to traverse. Focused on conserving her remaining oxygen, Phantom Lady turned the projector into a strobe light as a signal. She held onto the cushion and kicked slowly as it lifted her up. 

Phantom Lady was exhausted from her ordeal on the ship, and it was making her journey up difficult. For an experienced diver, this depth would be a challenge. But for Phantom Lady- a great athlete and a tough woman, but not even a novice at deep sea activities- this was nearly impossible. The pressure of the water was causing pain all over her body. The cold water was making it seem like her lungs were shriveling up. She could withstand this, but not for long. Her hope was that she would be found by the rest of the Freedom Fighters, who were supposed to be in the area to pick her up. But as Phantom Lady travelled through the dark water, she saw nothing: no fish, no submarines, nothing. The only sign of life in this sector of the sea was her little flashing light. Phantom Lady tried to adjust her light, but as she was doing so, she lost her weak grip on the cushion. Phantom Lady panicked as the cushion continued to float up, now at a faster pace, out of her reach. Phantom Lady tried to yell, but that caused her to start gagging for air. She put her hands to her nose and mouth, shutting them in case she would accidentally try to breathe. At this point, Phantom Lady could barely swim, focusing all her energy on holding her breath. It was working for the moment, but she knew it wouldn’t last. Phantom Lady was fighting a losing battle: she would never reach the surface in time and would die in the ocean in service of her country.

 _At least I’m out of that ship,_ she told herself, trying to keep herself relaxed. _Even if I drown, they can find my body along with the Codex. That’s the important thing...._

Then, out of the corner of her eye, Phantom Lady saw a light. Two lights, to be precise. These lights were very bright and big. These lights were accompanied by several more, smaller lights. Phantom Lady recognized the vague shape these lights outlined: it was the Freedom Fighters’ stealth submersible. Phantom Lady started to swim to the ship, with small, flailing strokes. The lights, which had been moving in a general search sweep pattern, suddenly stopped and directed their lights on the superheroine. Phantom Lady tried to move towards the light but began to gag again. This time, there was no controlling it. Phantom Lady repeatedly inhaled seawater. As the air and the life of Sandra Knight left her, the submersible crept closer. Phantom Lady reached out to the light as a blinding brightness enveloped her....

* * *

Phantom Lady was in darkness. Then, a light began to flood her vision. It was dull and without form, but it was there. Phantom Lady tried to concentrate on this light, but she found it hard to move. Suddenly, her body jerked, and she felt a sharp pain in chest. Phantom Lady tried to inhale but couldn’t. She coughed and felt her mouth fill with water. Phantom Lady felt her head turn as she spat out the water. She continued to cough, expelling large amounts of water each time. By the time she stopped, she felt a mask cover her nose and mouth. Now she was able to see what was going on.

Phantom Lady saw several members of the Freedom Fighters surrounding her, as well as other staff and technicians. She was lying on the ground of the submersible’s lowest level. To her right, she saw the scuba bay.

 _That’s must be how they got me in,_ she thought.

Right above her was Black Condor. It looked like it was him who was administering CPR, with the help of a few other people to hold her.

“Phantom Lady, can you hear us?” Black Condor said. Phantom Lady nodded her head. The mask was pumping pure oxygen to her.

“Christ, Sandra,” commented Doll Woman, noticing the condition of her body. “You look like you went to Hell and back!”

“The Codex...” Phantom Lady said. “Did you... get it?” Phantom Lady nearly fainted but was held back up by a staff member.

“Yeah, we took it. Mission accomplished, Phantom Lady,” Black Condor replied.

“I’ll say!” remarked the Human Bomb. “After the ship submerged, we thought the whole operation was over. But you did it somehow!”

Phantom Lady brushed off the praise. “Can you use... the Codex?... We gotta...”

“Yes. We know,” said Black Condor. “We’re plugging it in as we speak. Soon, we’ll know the location of mission of every ship in the German fleet. Thanks to the bomb, everyone will think the Codex sank to the bottom of the sea. Possibly along with you!”

“That was close... to happening... for a little bit,” Phantom Lady quipped between deep breaths.

“Once they finally figure out what happened, they’ll have to create a new system, and be blind without it in the meantime,” Doll Man said.

“We have to... make sure no one... gets out,” Phantom Lady said, still trying to talk while inhaling the oxygen.

“There were a few escape pods we found. But don’t worry; we’ll round them up,” said Doll Man.

“I can’t believe it!” said the Human Bomb. “You were practically dead out there- and possibly literally dead too- and you are still trying to work on your mission!”

“I have to fight,” Phantom Lady said. “If I don’t who will?”

Black Condor smiled at her. Phantom Lady saw this, but soon felt pain in body again. She groaned.

“Take it easy, Phantom Lady,” Black Condor said. “You didn’t decompress after swimming at extreme depths. We’re going to have to take you to the medical bay and work on you there. Keep you under observation until you’ve healed.”

Phantom Lady slowly nodded her head. “Right... Okay... Where’s Uncle Sam?”

“Uncle Sam is in the back. You can talk to him briefly before you go to the medical bay,” said Doll Woman.

Two medics helped Phantom Lady into a wheelchair. Another one put a blanket around her. Only then did Phantom Lady notice she was shivering the whole time. The Freedom Fighters began to leave the room, with Phantom Lady following them. As she got near the door, she heard a “Wait.” Phantom Lady turned around and saw Black Condor was actually behind her.

“I mean... I just wanted to say,” Black Condor began, “that I... I am happy you got back alive”.

Phantom Lady smiled. “I wouldn’t be alive now if it wasn’t for you,” she said. She then took Black Condor’s hand. “I am happy you were here for me. Thank you”.

Black Condor blushed a little when Phantom Lady said that. As she went through the door, Phantom Lady thought about all of the terrible things that happened to her on this adventure, how at any point she could have died, and the mission would have been over. But she kept fighting, however she could.

 _This world throws everything it got at us, and we keep getting out of it. That’s how I know we’re going to win this thing!_ she thought.

Phantom Lady knew she had to rest. But despite all of her pain and fatigue, internally she was raring to do another mission. She knew it was only a matter of time before the Third Reich felt the unstoppable force of Phantom Lady.

* * *

_That’s our Phantom Lady! Even when death is knocking on her door, she somehow finds a way to win, as only she can! And now the entire Nazi fleet is unknowingly in the hands of the Freedom Fighters. So as Phantom Lady takes a much-needed vacation, the resistance fighters will be watching, analyzing, and plotting using the Codex to cripple the Reich’s navy. And you know once that happens, Phantom Lady will be back in the battle!_

_In the meantime, make sure to join us for our next incredible story, which will be even more exciting -if you can believe it!_


End file.
